How much do clouds weigh?

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how much clouds weigh? Well this website will tell you about clouds and how much clouds actually weigh. If you think clouds are light as a feather, then think again.

Types of Clouds

There are a lot of types of shapes and sizes of clouds. Each cloud is different in its own way. For example, some are heaped, some fluffy, and some layered clouds. Large clouds can be over 11 miles in the sky. All clouds are different sizes, but an average one is about one kilometer wide and the same height, so that makes it about one billion cubic meters in volume.

There are different types of clouds such as stratiform clouds, convective clouds, and cumulus clouds.

Stratiform and Convective Clouds

Stratiform, or layer clouds, are cloud formations that are not fully developed. Convective clouds are clouds that are formed by warm air rising.

Stratiform clouds make rain and convective clouds make thunderstorms.

Cumulus Clouds

Cumulus clouds can also be called fair weather clouds. Cumulus clouds are the ones that look like soft pieces of cotton.

The most common type of cloud that people see in the sky are cumulus clouds. Cumulus clouds are the fluffy pretty clouds you frequently see that look light as a feather. Cumulus clouds are close to the ground and you usually see them on nice days.

Cumulus clouds CAN develop into a giant cumulonimbus cloud that can cause extreme and hard rain.

More About Clouds

Clouds can be miles long, and water is spread out for miles in a cloud. The water is in droplets or crystal form that are so small they float. Sometimes the ice crystals get so heavy in a thundercloud that they can’t stay in the air, and that makes rain.

How Much Do CloudS Weigh

Clouds may not look heavy but they really are. For example a cumulus cloud looks as light as a feather, but it can weigh as much as about 500,000 elephants!

This diagram show all different types of cloud and how high there are.

These are moving clouds. Their scientific name is a cumulus cloud

This is a cumulus cloud. They come out on nice days.

These two photos show stratiform clouds. They can be dark or light.

This is a convective cloud. Convective cloud cause thunderstorms.

Visit these sources to find more information:

Books about how much clouds weigh

  • Weather and Climate by Barbara Taylor

  • Weather by Kathy Wilmore

Fun fACTS:

  • Did you know that even the white fluffy clouds you see on a sunny day are heavy and can weigh up to 1.1 million pounds?

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